Bolster bed-bottom



(No Model.)

w. I. PIELDING. BDLSTER BED BOTTOM.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

WILLIAM I. FIELDING, OF NENV BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

BOLSTER BED-BOTTOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,572, dated August 4, 1885.

Application filed January 21, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM I. FIELDING, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bolster Bed-Bottoms, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my bed-bottom, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

I have illustrated this bed-bottom as attached directly to a frame which also constitutes a bedstead.

A designates the side rails, and B the end rails. The main fabric C is attached to the frame by means of a series of longitudinallyacting springs, a, at each end. I prefer to make this fabric in a series of metallic links. The parts thus far described are the same as have been previously manufactured and sold in the market. At thehead of the bed I attach a bolster-frame consisting of an end bar, D, and two side bars, I), which are pivoted to the side rails A, as shown. Hinged braces 0, having an inwardly-projecting lug, d, are pivoted to the side bars of the bolsteuframe, and the side rails of the main frame are each provided with a rack, f, the teeth of which engage the lugs (I, so as to hold the bolsterframe at any desired elevation. A supple mentary flexible fabric, E, is secured by one edge to the main fabric 0 at a point near the middle ofthe length of said main fabric, while its opposite edge is connected with the end bar, D, of the bolster-frame by means of a series of longitudinally-acting springs, a. It should be noticed that there is no cross-bar or anything else to interfere with the flexible character of the bed-bottom at any point between the series of springs at the foot and either series of springs at the head. \Vhen the bolster-frame is dropped into the position indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2, the supplementary fabric will lie close to the main fabric, and the bed-bottom will act the same as if there were no bolster thereon, the sup-.

plenienta-l flexible fabric not interfering in the least with the flexibility and consequent ease and comfort of the main fabric. When the bolster-frame is elevated and there is no one (No model.)

occupying the bed, the supplementary fabric will be slack, but so soon asaweight is thrown upon the main fabric to depress it, as that of an occupant, the depression of the main fabric in the middle will draw the supplementary fabric taut and properly support the part of the occupant which lies upon the bolster.

By means of the bolster-frame having the supplementary fabric and springs, a bolster is furnished which has all the elasticity of the main fabric and which does not in any manner interfere with the operation of the main fabric.

I have previously made and solda bed like the main bed, which was provided with asimilar bolster-frame having aseries of transverse rods for a supportingsurface; but such a bolster, it will readily be seen, does not furnish that ease and comfort to the occupant which my new bolster does, and, furthermore, when let down it destroyed in a measure the ease and comfort of the main fabric.

I prefer in all cases to employ a series of springs at both the head and foot of the main fabric, and also at the head of the bolsterframe; but in case a bed should be made with series of springs at the foot only of the main fabric, then the springs may also be omitted from the bolster.

If desired, instead of a fabric made elastic longitudinally by springs, the ordinary wovenwire bed or other bed-bottoms having a suspended fleXible fabric, may be employed for the bed proper.

I am aware that priorpatents show,'iirst, a bed-bottom consisting of a series of longitudinal sheet-metal strips connected to the end rails of the bed-frame and supported at the middle portion by two rigid crossbars which rest upon springs"; said bed-bottom was also provided with a bolster-frame having metal strips attached. thereto by one end while the opposite end of said strips was attached to the middle cross-bars of the bed-bottom; and, second, a bed-bottom consisting of a series of longitudinal springs attached to the end rails of the bedframe and supported at the middle portion of the bed-bottom by vertical coiled springs that rest upon cross-bars.- Said bedbottom was also provided with a bolstcrframe having longitudinal springs attached to its the bolstenframe, and the supplementary fabcross-bars, one of which cross-bars extended rio with one of its edges connected to the transversely across the bed=bottom near the cross-bar of said bolster-frame and its oppomiddle of its length. All of said prior art is site edge connected to the middle portion of I5 5 hereby disolaimed. the flexible fabric which forms the main bed- I claim as my inventionbottom, substantially as described, and for the The combination of the main bed-bottom,- purpose specified. consisting, essentially, of afiexible fabric eX- WVILLIAM I. FIELDING. tending substantially the whole length of the Witnesses: 10 bed, and suspended upon a frame with the EDDY N. SMITH,

flexibility of its middle portion unimpaired, JAMES SHEPARD. 

